A collision free MAC protocol for energy saving in wireless ad hoc networks

Wireless ad hoc networks represent a powerful tool for enabling wireless networking where temporary network connectivity is needed. However, a wide deployment of wireless ad hoc networks relies on system architectures that provide energetic optimization. This paper describes a preliminary proposal of a collision free MAC protocol able to minimize energy consumption. The algorithm has been developed starting from the theory of balanced incomplete block design (BIBD). A simple analytical model has been proposed for evaluating the system performance (channel efficiency, energy saving, etc.), as a function of system parameters. The results show that the proposed architecture is able to provide, for an appropriate choice of system parameters, high channel efficiency and energy saving.